Blood and blood components

Our blood ordering schedules are designed to provide guidance primarily for pre-planned surgical procedures.

They have been prepared in order to allow the most efficient use of blood stocks and laboratory facilities.

Red cells

• Stored at: +2 to +6 degrees Celsius
• Volume (range): Volume 220 to 340ml for red cells in additive solution, leucodepleted
• ABO and D compatible

Indications for red cells

• Patient blood management statements, including single unit, triggers, targets.

Special requirements

Some patients require special blood – this could be related to the patient’s characteristics or the underlying disease for which they are being treated. In an emergency, these special requirements are still important.

• Phenotyped (antigen-specific)
• Irradiated
• Cytomegalovirus (CMV) negative
• Washed
• Immunoglobulin A (IgA) deficient

However, in a life-threatening situation giving emergency blood to save the patient’s life is the priority.

 Special components 

• Red cells for Neonatal top-up
• Red cells for neonatal exchange transfusion

Find out more about the red cell components that we manufacture.

Platelets

• Stored at: +20 to +24 degrees Celsius
• Volume (range): 160 to 380ml for platelets pooled, leucocyte depleted or platelets pooled, in additive and plasma, leucocyte depleted
• ABO and D compatible

Indications for platelets

• Patient blood management statements, including single unit, triggers and targets.

Special requirements

• Apheresis
• Irradiated
• High titre (HT) negative
• (CMV) negative
• Washed
• HLA matched

Find out more about our HLA and HPA matched platelet tests.

Special components

• Neonatal platelets
• IgA deficient

Fresh frozen plasma (FFP)

• Stored at: -25 degrees Celsius
• Volume (range): 200 to 340ml FFP or filtered FFP
• ABO compatible

Special components

• Pre-thawed FFP

Find out more about fresh frozen plasma components that we manufacture.

Cryoprecipitate

• Stored at: -25 degrees Celsius
• Volume (range): 100 to 250ml for cryoprecipitate pooled, leucocyte depleted and 200 to 340ml for cryoprecipitate depleted plasma, leucocyte depleted
• ABO compatible

Find out more about cryoprecipitate components that we manufacture.

Indications for frozen components

• Patient blood management statements – coagultation screen abnormal.

Special requirements

• HT negative
• Pathogen inactivated
• Solvent-detergent (SD) treated: Octaplas
• Methylene Blue (MB) treated: MB FFP

Find out more about: the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines for blood transfusion.